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Educational software Classcraft to offer freemium pay model

Freemium payment models sometimes draw ire from fans that feel like they're being nickeled and dimed, but how would students feel about it if it loosely tied into their education? Classcraft Studios is about to find out, as it plans to implement appearance-altering micro transactions into a version of Classcraft, its education-oriented software that encourages teamwork and learning by turning the classroom into an RPG.

While a version of Classcraft will let teachers dole out gold instead of asking students to pay for it, the freemium model sidesteps the issue of strict educational budgets. Getting approval for software that costs $4 a head might be tough, but what if the revenue came from students that willingly pay to customize their avatar's appearance? It's an interesting alternative, but one that probably needs a roof, lest angry parents descend on schools regarding their student's purchasing habits.

"They can't spend that much money," teacher and Classcraft developer Shawn Young assured GamesBeat when asked about potential spending caps for students. "After $5 or $6 it doesn't make sense to spend money."

There will be a free, transaction-less version of Classcraft as well, but it will lack support for character customization, pets, class forums and the iOS app, which will launch in September and be trailed by an Android counterpart.